There are four reasons you should put a priority on your church web site: First, over the past 15 years web use has exploded. A web site is your least expensive and most cost effective form of advertising. Second, you get more per dollar exposure with a web site than any other medium. Web sites do more than just inform; they also convince. Web sites can provide sermons, audio and video clips, doctrinal files, PDF booklets, and more. They become an extension of your church’s mission to reach the lost. Third, a well designed web site is an evangelism tool.
Research shows that well over half of your visitors will have visited your web site before they visit your church. If they find no web site, or even worse a poorly designed site it reflects negatively upon your church and its leadership. Agree or not, people form an opinion of your church based upon your web site.
Finally, 77% of church visitors that visit because of your web site, state that their decision to visit was influenced by what they saw on the web site. They should leave your site saying, “We should definitely check this church out!”
What are the basics of a good web site? 1. Web sites should ATTRACT: It should be beautiful, contemporary, and visually clean lots of photos, and the photos should be real, not pulled from some stock photo site. 2. Web sites should INFORM: Visitors should find needed information about your church. Navigation on the site should be logical and it should be easy to find needed information. 3. Web sites should INSPIRE: Preaching and teaching videos are increasingly popular. Your web site should challenge people to come to church, live for God, and grow stronger in Spirit. 4. Web sites should ENGAGE: It should offer visitors the chance to sign up, ask questions, participate in polls, leave prayer requests, download files, enroll in activities, and participate in church Facebook and Twitter accounts. 5. Web sites should EVANGELIZE: Visitors should be able to request a home Bible study, enroll in a home fellowship group, or ask a minister to visit. 6. Web sites should ANTICIPATE: An “I’m New Here” link and a short welcome video from the pastor anticipates their needs and questions.
